Why collect Rare Books?

Age or scarcity by themselves are hardly sufficient to make a rare
book also valuable. Books are valued for the significance of their
contents, their scarcity, their imprint or date of publication, their
physical characteristics or condition, or their associations (signed
or annotated by a famous author, for instance). The importance
of the text and its sources, the condition of the book, and demand for
it will determine the financial valuation of an old book. When building
your collection of significant and rare works, an initial motivation
might be the creation of personal satisfaction and
enjoyment, maybe one of financial gains. With it though
will always come the preservation of key elements of
our cultural inheritance for generations to follow.